During surgical procedures, various devices and methods have been utilized to assist in conducting bodily fluids. For example, in circulatory assistance, a blood pump may be fluidically attached to a patient's heart, and/or to surrounding vascular structure, by a cannula so that the blood pump may be located remotely and assist the heart in circulating blood. Cannulae may be used in surgical procedures involving other bodily organs as well.
It is often desirable to use a malleable cannula which may be bent into a particular configuration that is maintained during use. In this manner, a malleable cannula may be bent into a configuration that minimizes interference with surrounding structures, such as bodily organs. In known cannulae, such malleability is provided by a malleable member, such as a tube or rod, provided within and extending along a length of the cannula body. However, there remains a need for improvement in the manners in which malleable members are contained within and anchored to cannula bodies.